Hello, and welcome back! Spring is nearly here--at least in my part of the country--and I´m so thrilled. But we are starting to get the usual spring rain, which means instead of cleaning up the yard or gardens, I get to stay inside and read! One of my very favorite things to do.
Included in that favorite thing is finding new authors to love. How do you find new authors? In the past, when I had more time to spend leisurely moseying through the bookstore, I used to stumble across new authors all the time. These days, the schedule isn´t so open. However, I´ve found reviews to be a good way of finding new authors. Obviously, I´m only one person, and so can only read so many new books a month, but for finding new authors, Romantic Times magazine is wonderful. They review over 100 books each month, in all the subgenres of romance, and I´ve found any number of new authors that way.

Another way is by word of mouth. A friend will rave about a book until I have to go out and find it myself. Or someone who knows I love time travels will tell me about a new author they´ve read. Or some of the readers will get to chatting in my forum about an author they love and why, until my curiosity wins out and I have to trek to the bookstore.

A perk of being a reviewer is that sometimes great new authors sometimes fall into my hands. Like last month when I read "Jimmy´s Girl," by Stephanie Gertler. Though a love story rather than a romance, the characters were wonderfully real and endearing. I´ve raved about that one to friends since I read it, and this Tuesday night, March 20 at 9:00 p.m. EST, Stephanie will be joining us for a special chat in my forum. You can also join us via the link on the bottom of my main page.

This week, another amazing new author´s book has fallen into my hands.
Catch a Dream by Mary Jane Meier (Onyx) is one of those rare finds. Meg Delaney needs rescuing, whether she wants to admit it or not, and Zack Burkhart happens along at just the right moment. Her fiance leaves her stranded in Yellowstone, and Meg is kind of a tenderfoot. But she´s also got some secrets. And Zack is still harboring feelings for his late wife, or so he thinks. These characters are so real and wonderfully drawn that you´ll be cheering for Meg and Zack, too. And the secondary characters--Zack´s mother-in-law and son--round out the story very nicely. I´m giving this one four of Cupid´s five arrows and hoping Ms. Meier is a fast writer so I can snap up her next new book as soon as it comes out.

Until next week, happy reading!